How Assassin's Creed III's New Co-Op Mode Cranks Up the Pace

Here at Comic-Con 2012, Ubisoft just unveiled a new co-op mode for Assassin's Creed III called Wolfpack. True to its name, Wolfpack sets a team of players wild on a map full of NPCs, taking out a series of targets in a race against the clock. In fact, it's that race that makes this new mode feel like an altogether unique chapter in the world of Assassin's Creed.

Wolfpack is, in a word, fast. You begin a round with a fixed amount of time, and once your team takes out its first target (or group of targets, in most cases), you get more time added to the clock. So right off the bat, there's a strong incentive to keep things moving and string your kills together as quickly as possible. It's similar to Manhunt mode, but much more focused on the rapid succession of targets.

On top of this, there's no need to be sly when taking care of your targets. The NPCs loitering around the map couldn't care less if you brutally murder someone within close proximity, so long as they don't get accidentally stabbed in the process. Just run up, kill who you need to kill, and move on. The game actually does a clever job of explaining this with a fictional snippet suggesting the Animus has been marketed as a consumer device for entertaining yourself in historical settings.

It's very easy to catch you and your teammates running totally wild in Wolfpack mode, going into a frenzy of one target assassination after another. But where this mode challenges you is in recognizing that point at which you've crossed the line from brutally efficient to downright reckless.

For one thing, you're mostly taking out groups of targets hanging out near each other. If one player rushes up and kills a target, it can spook the others and send them fleeing across the map, closing doors behind them in an attempt to escape their would-be killers (that is, you). So, the best approach is often coordinating kills with your teammates to make sure you're all perfectly in sync with one another.

Then you have situations where, instead of having you use your basic weapon, the game gives you the option to take out your targets in a more specialized manner (such as poison darts) for added points; it's the classic risk/reward scenario.

Overall, Wolfpack seems like a mode geared toward players who want to jump right into the game and have some quick and simple fun with their friends in a co-op setting. Ubisoft isn't trying to re-create the methodical pacing of the single-player game or the clever subterfuge of the competitive multiplayer mode. It's fast, it's violent, and it's its own beast.

An AC game set during the Cold War...I've been hoping for that since I heard ACIII was going to exist. I hope ubisoft pulls a Halo at the end and says "Well, we changed out minds! We're going to make more games even though we said we'd stop at three!"

very anticipated game i have been a hug fan of all the other assassins creed games but this one i have a good feeling about. from what i have seen he has new moves and weapons that make the game 10 times better. looks like its gonna be a must buy game

I like that they have added this game type for multiplayer. Its something different. instead of constantly having to be stealthy your going to be allowed to go a bit crazy lol its going to be fun! do it for sh1ts and gigs :D

good lord they just keep making it easier and easier. its lost the identity of "assassin" and now its just blatant yet extremely forgiving mass murder. the only things they had to do to make a better game was to make combat harder and to push stealth. They're consistently going in the opposite direction.

I honestly thought they were going to implement something where you (and friends/other players) play as the assassins sent on missions to complete chosen (or assigned) missions. To me, that would have been a nice build for the co-op. They already had the missions laid out. Customize your assassin, choose your load out (so to alleviate every player having the full arsenal to their disposal and to add a little planning to each mission), and complete the task. Though now it's a new setting so they can't use the old missions... I like gaming with friends and I don't like competing against people all the time, so this seems like it could be a nice break from the SP while playing the same game.

i must admit when i read co-op mode, i did not imagine a psyko killing spree, i actually imagined something a little more, challenging, and in the spirit of assasins creed, where you in some way plan and execute an "assasination" not a random kill'n'run to the next target, i imagined 4 assasins having to work together to kill one specific heavyli guarded target.

@sabresieben Agreed - I still feel the game has the identity of assassin and love the series, but an assassin should have stealth as the emphasis not just pure (bad-ass though it may be) combat.

I guess if you want to make the combat harder just stop using health potions or upgrading your armor. - harder combat achieved.try and enforce your own stealth....still if Ubi soft can make stealth a more vital and fun element in the game that would be swell.

@galletboy I felt anti the american setting at first but you have to admit certain elements of american history can be interesting, and this game looks really cool.fortunately with the way the animus works future Assassin's Creed games can still be set further in the past for other assassin's relatives, a completely new story line with a different historical background.

@galletboy the American revolution was one of the most important events in the history of the world, it would only make sence based on the storyline that they would be here, i assume they'll go Napoleonic wars in Europe next, so just chill out

@nrkouba215 Thank you for you 'no-you hate america' reply. If that the case it could be. But is always america the good guys. I would like to see that . for example, the templars were the forefathers of america or something like that. I don't want to see cameos of Washintong talking about of the importance of the freedom and that sort of speech we always see on the movies.

@xdrmonkeyfishx Exciting for USA people perhaps...I'd hate to see that the game story ends showing USA independency like the banner for freedom or something like that. It's like is always USa the one that saves the world...when in reality it's all the oposite.either way I don't want to offend no one with my comments.

Dude, we get it. And I don't think there's an American out there that would say their country is perfect. Point is that the chunk of history that included the american revolutionary war is just as interesting a piece of history as any out there. The only reason I can think that placing an AC game in this time period would be a bad idea was if suddenly they lost a large part of their customer base because they were upset that it was placed in america. So far, you're pretty much the only one. So get the stick out of your ass and enjoy the game for what it's going to be.

@Uesugi-dono Yeah what uesugi said, it doesn't matter where they put it, they can find very good ways to twist the story and change your opinion. And no offense, I like Chinese and Japanese but I would not be able to play the game with my character talking those languages, I learned a lot of italian from Ezio , I'm not american btw. And I do think they could have put samurai or ninja type assassins because I remember in one of the shorts an assassin visits Ezio as an old man and shes from the Japanese branch with some ninja looking skills and weapons.

I totally get it now. You're right, as a citizen of the United States of America, I was absolutely livid when the decisivg battle for the fate of the world took place in Italy. What's so great about Italy anyway? I totally understand where you're coming from. I should go find the nearest gaming website and voice my valid opinion.

@xsa logical step to take according to what?or who?It's not like I'm all anti-USA, but things like calling yourselves 'america' (that's a while continent, not only your country) gives me the nerve. And I'm afraid that the storytelling will be tainted with things like 'this will be a decesive battle for freedom' just because it occurring in USA. That's all, I'm saying that i'm tired of USA being the center of everything... perhaps i'm not that clear. And I repeat, I'm not spreading hate or anything is just an honest opinion.

@galletboy Bitter much? You're just talking pure bs with uninformed opinions. This is the perfect setting as there were MANY people with a lot of influence during that time whom were perfect targets for assassinations and it was the logical step to take, according to the timeline the game has been following.

To me it just seems you spout out pure nonsense just because you're anti-american.

@galletboy I'm not American either, but the Americans did win the American Revolution, so this isn't like its CoD or something. Anyways, I think the AR is interesting and I think it'll be cool. Each to their own and such

lol...this is sad. Americans weren't all up in arms when AC games were placed in Italy. Nobody was cying "what's so good about italians? why wouldn't they put it in america?" it really does not matter where the story is placed...if the story is killer, it can fit into any place in history.newsflash: history exists in the United States of America (that's what USA means btw, in case you were still confused), and therefore the USA is just a viable a setting for an AC game as any other place in the world.what's your problem man? lol

It's supposed to stand for freedom. I myself don't mind the new setting for ACIII. I'm glad a little of my country's history is being put into a video game. And the Revolutionary era is one of my favorite periods in time, mostly because the clothes were awesome, lol.

But I don't know why this is such an issue with some people. We've been to the Italian Renaissance, Constantinople, and the Holy Lands... why not the Americas? I haven't once complained about the series being in other settings, I actually enjoyed it. But once they decide to bring the series to the Americas it's "who gives a f*ck about Washington".

For the record, I don't expect everyone to bow down to me because I'm an American, as you might suggest, although I am happy and proud to be one, just as you share the same pride and sentiment for your heritage. Do I know who your forefathers were? No, probably not. Do I genuinely care who they were? No, probably not. But I at least try to respect other peoples backgrounds by not bad-mouthing their forefathers.

@TruSake Sorry, I is not like no one cares about USA history ...is like is expected to the rest of the world should care or to look up to your country. What I'm trying to say is, please, there is a rest of the world besides USA. That's all. Not trying to offend ANYONE. I don't hate USA...

@TruSake Things like ' the greatest country this world has ever seen' are what makes me don't be to fond of you guys. I'm pretty sure you're NOT the gratest country...you have some things to be proud about but I don't know if you can be called 'the greatest'. No one in the world except YOU gives a single f@#k who Washintong was (as you probably would in regard to the forefathers of any other country). It's like every person in the world should be happy or honored for your history, ancestors or forefathers...newsflash: NO ONE CARES!. Also, most of you guys don't respect or give a F for other cultures (I know not every people is like that, but that's what is mostly seen).And please, explain to me what USA stands for.

@galletboy you don't like USA culture because you hate "yankis" as you put it. George Washington, the greatest president of US history, gave blood and sweat to build the greatest country this world has ever seen, if you knew anything about his life and what the USA stands for, you wouldn't be so quick to judge.

@galletboy i agree, it would have been way better if they had like India (ancient creeds), China (samurais), Japan (ninjas), Egypt (related to ancient astronot theory). but they chose USA, at least something besides WW theme would have been better. for me it's somewhat similar to red dead redemption, which i have already played, the gameplay is different but the environment is the same.